Type-56 Ground Support/Ultra Heavy Deployment Platform
|width= |height= |slipspace drive=Yes |armament=*Type-56 PEW/M *Type-52 Directed Energy Support Weapon (4) |complement = |crew = * 1 Pilot * 1 Weapon Officer |skeleton = |passengers =30-40 passengers |capacity = |consumables = |othersystems = |firstsight= |role =*Dropship *Gunship *Scoutship |era = *Post-war |affiliation = Covenant Empire *Covenant remnants *Swords of Sanghelios }} The T-56 Ground Support/Ultra Heavy Deployment Platform, also known as the Lich, is the Covenant's largest mass deployment platform, providing a heavy armament and high volume troop/material deployment. Deployment platforms such as the Lich are rarely documented in human combat, as encounters with the vehicle usually result in its complete domination and destruction of all resisting forces. Class History Human-Covenant war Post-war Jul 'Mdama's Covenant used several to help escort the Mantle's Approach to Ivanoff Research Station in 2557. The Swords of Sanghelios used one in the Battle of Sunaion. Design The T-56 Ground Support/Ultra Heavy Deployment Platform is designed as a high capacity, infantry transport and is sufficiently armed and armored to operate within an active battlezone, though not intended to do so as much as the more common T-44 and T-52 Phantoms. At the fore of the vehicle is a powerful plasma beam weapon similar to the kind used by Scarabs. This beam is capable of disabling a Mammoth's main cannon in a single shot. Both sides are each armed with two additional plasma cannons. The interior of the Lich is comprised of two decks. The lower deck seems to be where troops would assemble to deploy. A small gravity lift is located at its center, though it is too small to deploy vehicles, instead appearing to be intended solely for infantry and possibly supplies. To both sides of the gravity lift are open platforms armed with Type-52 Directed Energy Support Weapons, and at the very front of the deck is a ramp leading up to the second deck. At the center of the second deck is a large opening looking down on the first deck, and the gravity lift, below. Similarly to the first deck, open platforms with plasma cannons are located on both sides of the Lich. At the front of the deck is a single command console from which the ship can be piloted, and at the very rear of the deck is the vessel's shielded power core. On each side of the power core is a ramp which leads to the Lich's dorsal surface. There is a hole in the roof, more or less above the command console, that allows anyone to drop down from the roof to the cockpit section of the vehicle. The ship is shielded and capable of slipspace travel, though, like smaller dropships, is obviously not intended for long-term occupation. The Lich is capable of carrying another dropship, such as a Phantom, on its underside. Variants *Banished Lich Ships of the Line *''Upright Chalice'' Trivia *A Lich is an undead creature that is usually the result of a powerful being magically binding his intelligence to their animated corpse. Liches are usually depicted as in control of other lesser undead beings. *Pieces of a Lich also appear on the Halo 4 map Wreckage. *In Halo 2: Anniversary, the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam is in possession of a gold colored Lich.Halo 2: Anniversary - The Heretic, Anniversary Prologue Gallery Lich_Flyby.JPG|A Lich flying in space, escorted by two Phantoms. Halo lich.jpg|John-117 watches a Lich as it passes a Mammoth on the campaign level, Reclaimer. Lich 1.jpeg|A Lich's rear as seen in Spartan Ops. Lich 2.jpeg|The front of a Lich as seen in Spartan Ops. lich3.jpg|The Lich's power core. Lich_core.png|A Spartan-IV separating a Lich's core from its mainframe. Halo4-T56-Lich-Mammoth.jpg|A Lich attacking the Mammoth on the Halo 4 campaign level, Reclaimer. Appearances *''Halo 4'' *''Halo: Escalation'' *''Halo 2: Anniversary'' *''Halo: Spartan Strike'' *''Halo 5: Guardians'' *''Halo: Fireteam Raven'' Sources ru:Истребитель_космического_превосходства_1000 Category:Covenant Aircraft Category:Covenant Spacecraft Classifications